The Babysitting Plan
by LittleMissHerondale
Summary: "By the angel Will, Gabriel is not using this trip to Idris as a way to torment you." Gabriel and Cecily are off to Idris and leave Will and Tessa to look after their children. But where there is Will Herondale, there is chaos.


**This is just something cute I thought of and had to get it written. I hope you all enjoy it. Review or PM at the end to tell me what you think.**

**DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare, unfortunately I do not own the Infernal Devices...**

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"Do not be ridiculous Will," Tessa whispered in a hushed voice. "We are looking after our niece and nephew for three days, they are merely saying goodbye."

"I am not being ridiculous Tess," Will insisted, his hands resting on the shoulders of their four year old son James. "Look at the way Lightworm is talking to them. I bet you that he just whispered his grand plan in Christopher's ear."

Gabriel indeed did stand crouched in front the child, appearing to be in conversation with his young son. Tessa sighed at her husband's antics.

"By the angel Will, Gabriel is not using this trip to Idris as a way to torment you."

"Give me one reason Tess, why Lightwood is not over there conspiring with my nephew?"

"Christopher is three."

"You are right," Will pondered on this for a moment, "He must have organised something with Anna. She is six, perfectly capable to carry out a straight forward plan." To prove his point, he gestured towards the eldest of the three children in the room, a young girl with jet black hair who appeared perfectly innocent, embraced in her mother's hug goodbye.

"You two be good for you Uncle Will and Aunt Tessa," Cecily said, she and Gabriel giving one last kiss to young Anna and Christopher. "Thank you so much for agreeing to look after them for us," she said addressing Will and Tessa, "I hope they won't be too much of a trouble for you."

"It is no trouble at all for us. I am sure that they will be perfectly well behaved," Tessa reassured the younger woman. Meanwhile, Will was staring daggers into the back of Gabriel's head.

"Cecily dear," Gabriel called, "I do believe it is time for us to leave."

"Alright, well goodbye and thank you again," Cecily said before joining her husband by the far wall of the crypt.

"Give our love to Charlotte and Henry," Tessa reminded the pair. And with one last wave Gabriel and Cecily disappeared through the portal and into Idris.

"When will Mama and Papa be back?" Anna said.

"Where did Mammy and Papa go?" Christopher queried at the same time.

Both children looked towards Will and Tessa, as if expecting them to conjure their parents back through the portal. Tessa sighed; it was going to be a long three days.

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"James Herondale! You let go of your cousin's hair right this instance. " Tessa shouted across the drawing room from her seat by the fire. It was nearing lunch time at the London Institute and Gabriel and Cecily had been gone for a few hours now, leaving Will and Tessa their two children to look after. So far the childish hair pulling was the first of their problems.

James Herondale, with all the seriousness of his four year old self, looked towards his mother all the while never loosening his grip on the hair. Mother and child became in a locked glare, neither one willing to lose.

"You have until the count of three James," Tessa countered the glare.

"One." James looked to the hair grasped in his little hand.

"Two." He looked back at his mother.

"Thr-" He grinned at Christopher standing beside him. A piercing scream echoed through the room as James tugged down with all his might and promptly released the hair in his clutches. To the child's merit he had let go of Anna's hair before the count of three.

The little girl ran across the room into the safety of Tessa's arms, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Back across the room Christopher and James were grinning madly at one another. "Again!" the youngest cheered whilst clapping. It was at this moment that Will came back and assessed the situation in the room.

"Be careful Tess, this all may be a part of Gabriel's plan."

"There is no plan!" Tessa exasperated. "Anna and I are going to go eat some lunch. You are welcome bring the hair pullers and come join us," she said standing up and hoisting the little girl onto her hip. She strode from the room and the two females disappeared down one of the many corridors.

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Lunch was being served by the time Will joined Tessa and Anna in the dining room with the boys. They quietly took their seats, James and Christopher opposite Will, who sat on Tessa's left, Anna being on her right. Will managed to speak the entire time and much to Tessa disbelief was trying to get to the bottom of Gabriel's plan. Butting in to stop her husband's nonsense Tessa spoke up.

"James, would you care to explain to your father why you were pulling on Anna's hair in the drawing room?"

"Christopher told me to," the little Herondale simply said, the youngest Lightwood nodding in agreement. Will immediately sat up straighter to this and whispered to Tessa.

"I told you it was some sort of plan."

"What on earth d are you talking about Will?"

"Just pay attention dear." Tessa just shook her head.

"Christopher," Will began, "Did Papa tell you, to tell James, to pull on Anna's hair?"

"Why would Gabriel tell him to do that?" Tessa snapped getting fed up with Will's obsession.

"Haven't you been listening Tess? There is a plan in play here, I am sure of it," Will said shrugging off his wife's disbelief. "Did he, Christopher?"

The Lightwood child in question shook his head. Tessa, confused at something he'd said, asked the boy, "Why did you tell James to pull on your sister's hair?"

"Because Mammy told me you aren't allowed to pull your sister's hair," Christopher explained, "Anna isn't James's sister, so he can pull her hair."

"No he can't!" cried Anna.

"I already have!" countered the Herondale child.

Will sunk into his chair, a look of confusion and shock on his face. "Cecy's in on the plan as well?"

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Later that night Will and Tessa were alone in their bedroom, lying in bed. After reading the children a bedtime story of _Little Red Riding Hood_ in the drawing room and giving them each a warm cup of milk, they'd been taken off to bed, and would hopefully remain there for the rest of the night. Will and Tessa had eventually retired to their room as well.

"Tess," Will spoke.

"Mhm," Tessa's muffled reply came, as she rolled over to face him.

"How do you think Gabriel convinced Cecily to be in on the plan?"

"Goodnight Will," Tessa said firmly and then snuggled against Will's side.

"Alright then, I see you still yet to see the plan behind this whole trip," Will muttered.

"That is because there is not one," Tess countered back.

"How about a different question then?" Will began.

"It depends on the question. But you may ask."

"Do you want any more children? I must admit, it was nice having a couple more running around today."

"Is this your way of seducing in bed?"

"Is it working?" Will said, propping himself up onto his side. He watched her face as he gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"It might be," Tessa said softly looking into Will's eyes.

"So is that a yes to another child?" Will said, slightly elated.

"It is," Tessa confessed smiling at her husband. He slowly shifted his body weight and pulled her on top of himself, to capture her lips in his. It was a soft kiss, full of passion. He gently turned them over so that Tessa was lying on her back and was about to pepper her jawline in kisses when their bedroom door creaked open.

Little feet wandered into the room and the child stopped at the bottom of the bed, completely oblivious at what he was interrupting. "Aunt Tessa," Christopher said fretfully, "Is the Big Bad Wolf going to come eat me?"

Both Will and Tessa rolled apart, if they were annoyed at the interruption they did a remarkable job at hiding it.

"No Sweetie, he won't come and eat you," Tessa said slowly getting out of bed. "Let's take you back to your bed, where you will be perfectly safe."

"You promise he won't come?" the young child said looking his Aunt in her eyes.

"I promise," Tessa said. "Now come on, I'll take you back to bed." She lifted the small boy up and began to make her way out to the corridor. She paused at the door as Will called to her.

"I do not know how, but somehow Gabriel has planned this."

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The next few days passed by rather similarly. There would be some minor mishaps and Will would straight away blame it upon being a part of 'The Plan', a plan he'd yet to discover. In fact, Will had become so obsessed about there being a plan that Tessa had decided it was easier to look after three children, than one William Herondale.

Gabriel and Cecily were due back anytime within the hour, so Will and Tessa had everyone settled in the drawing. Tessa was sitting near the fire, reading a book. Every once in a while she would glance up to check on Will and the children. Sometimes she swore she was looking after four and not three with the help of her husband. Currently James and Christopher were drawing together and Will was sitting with Anna helping her with a puzzle.

"What are you doing Anna?" Will said alarmed, watching her handling the small pieces.

"The puzzle," Anna replied obviously.

"No, no, no," Will sighed. "You're doing it wrong. Everybody knows that you start with the outer pieces first and _then _the middle ones." He then gestured at her to leave the middle pieces and help him with the outer ones.

"You are doing it wrong, Uncle Will," the child stated. "The middle ones are done first."

"You have a lot to learn," Will sighed. "Who taught you to do it like that?"

"Daddy did," the young one stated.

Will groaned and a look of understanding washed across his face. Just as he was about to speak, Tessa, whom had been listening in for the last few minutes, suddenly spoke up.

"William Herondale, don't you even say it. I have become sick of your antics these past couple of days. Not now or any other time has a situation presented itself that has been a part some plan!"

At this moment the door to the door swung open revealing the arrival of two more shadow hunters.

"Gabe!" Cecily exasperated, "You promised me you wouldn't plan anything."

"I didn't, I swear," the Lightwood confessed.

"Please! I'm begging you to tell me what you did," Will plead to the new arrival.

"I did nothing," Gabriel reiterated, "It seems I was right though."

Will gave him a questioning look. Tessa and Cecily meanwhile were shaking their heads.

"I thought you would drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what I'd done, so I deliberating planned nothing."

"The plan was that there was no plan," Will said, finally understanding it.

"You have _no_ idea how well it worked," Tessa said, leaving the room with Cecily and all three kids trailing behind.

"Well played," Will concluded, "Very well played Lightworm."


End file.
